Utah Physicians Sue 4 Wheel Parts

Utah Physicians Sue 4 Wheel Parts for Selling Pollution Control Defeat Devices

4 Wheel Parts charged with selling and installing defeat parts that increase harmful air pollution along Utah’s Wasatch Front 

(September 5, 2019 – Salt Lake City) – Today Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE) filed a Clean Air Act complaint in Utah Federal District Court against TAP Worldwide, Inc., doing business as 4 Wheel Parts, to stop and penalize the company’s sale and installation of exhaust kits, “race” catalytic converters and electronic reprogrammers that remove or defeat pollution control systems in motor vehicles.  

4 Wheel Parts sells parts to Utah consumers through its website and its “Performance Centers” in Salt Lake City and Ogden.  TAP Worldwide, that does business as 4 Wheel Parts, is owned by Polaris Industries, Inc.  

“As physicians we see among our patients the broad range of health consequences from air pollution–sudden death, heart attacks, strokes, lung disease, cancer, and birth defects,” explained Dr. Brian Moench, UPHE President.  “Vehicle pollution, especially diesel exhaust, is one of the most toxic types of pollution there is.  This company’s marketing, selling, and installation of parts that increase air pollution throughout the country, is illegal, and a serious health hazard to millions of people,” said Dr. Moench.  

UPHE’s complaint states that removing a catalytic converter, which is enabled by exhaust kits sold by 4 Wheel Parts, can cause a twenty-fold increase in health-damaging emissions of nitrogen oxide from each vehicle, in violation of federal and state law.

“4 Wheel Parts admits its race catalytic converters have not been approved by either EPA or the California Air Resources Board and are illegal to sell in California.  So why are they for sale here in Utah?” asks UPHE Board Member Dr. Kirtly Jones. “Pollution literally kills or injures hundreds of thousands of people every year.  Pollution controls on vehicles may have been the most important advance in public health protection in our country’s history. We cannot allow any company to profit by selling these parts and contributing to that public health plague.”    

[One of the “race” catalytic converters sold by 4 Wheel Parts is shown below.  From: https://www.4wheelparts.com/b/performance-parts/catalytic-converters/_/N-cm2yhZ1z0rrif]

4 Wheel Parts also agrees that a number of reprogrammers that its sells, like the Diablosport Trinity 2 EX, are “illegal to install . . . on a registered vehicle and use it . . . on the street.”  

[From: https://www.4wheelparts.com/b/performance-parts/performance-electronics/diablosport/_/N-cm30fZ1z0lkhh?SNo=24&SNrpp=24&skuSelectedTab=true]

“Unfortunately, Volkswagen is not alone when it comes to defeating pollution control equipment in motor vehicles.  We are bringing this case to stem the flow of high polluting, illegal software and parts that are being sold by an American company right here in Utah,” explained UPHE Executive Director, Jonny Vasic.  

🎉 Join us in celebration on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT to kick off our campaign to save the Phalaropes - and the Great Salt Lake.

Featuring speakers like Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow), Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES, and more. Plus, don't miss the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs expressing our love for the Lake.

🐦 What exactly is at stake for the Great Salt Lake if the Wilson’s Phalarope gains Endangered Species Act protection?

Protecting the Wilson’s Phalarope under the Endangered Species Act could mean crucial safeguards for the Great Salt Lake, including regulations on water levels and ecosystem preservation. Federal involvement might push leaders to prioritize water flow to the lake.

We can't wait to see you there ❗️RSVP: Link in Bio.

🎉 Join us in celebration on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT to kick off our campaign to save the Phalaropes - and the Great Salt Lake.

Featuring speakers like Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow), Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES, and more. Plus, don`t miss the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs expressing our love for the Lake.

🐦 What exactly is at stake for the Great Salt Lake if the Wilson’s Phalarope gains Endangered Species Act protection?

Protecting the Wilson’s Phalarope under the Endangered Species Act could mean crucial safeguards for the Great Salt Lake, including regulations on water levels and ecosystem preservation. Federal involvement might push leaders to prioritize water flow to the lake.

We can`t wait to see you there ❗️RSVP: Link in Bio.
...

19 1
Immigration at the southern border and inflation, especially food inflation, have been the top two political issues this year according to recent polls. Did you know that both are being affected, if not largely driven by, the climate crisis? 🌎
 
Agricultural stability hinges on consistent precipitation and temperatures. However, the climate crisis, marked by extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and more, is significantly disrupting food production. Already, millions of people worldwide have been displaced from their homes as a result. In 2022, over 30 million people became climate or earthquake refugees. Not surprisingly, a new study directly connected the climate crisis with food inflation throughout the world. 📈
 
Central America, the origin of much the immigration surge at the southern border, contributes hardly any greenhouse gases to the global atmosphere, but is especially at risk from the climate crisis. Honduras is pummeled with hurricanes, rising seas and storm surges, and coastal erosion. In Western Mexico it’s drought. In Guatemala and El Salvador its hurricanes, drought, floods, and malnutrition from crop failure.
 
By 2050, weather extremes and ecosystem destruction, and the ensuing societal collapse, will create as many as 1.2 billion climate refugees and risk the lives of even more. Food inflation that we’re seeing now is just the beginning of this dangerous trend. It is in our own self-interest and our moral obligation for Utah and the United States to end our dependency on greenhouse gas emitting dirty energy. Taking care of our local environment helps us take care of our shared world. 💚

Immigration at the southern border and inflation, especially food inflation, have been the top two political issues this year according to recent polls. Did you know that both are being affected, if not largely driven by, the climate crisis? 🌎

Agricultural stability hinges on consistent precipitation and temperatures. However, the climate crisis, marked by extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and more, is significantly disrupting food production. Already, millions of people worldwide have been displaced from their homes as a result. In 2022, over 30 million people became climate or earthquake refugees. Not surprisingly, a new study directly connected the climate crisis with food inflation throughout the world. 📈

Central America, the origin of much the immigration surge at the southern border, contributes hardly any greenhouse gases to the global atmosphere, but is especially at risk from the climate crisis. Honduras is pummeled with hurricanes, rising seas and storm surges, and coastal erosion. In Western Mexico it’s drought. In Guatemala and El Salvador its hurricanes, drought, floods, and malnutrition from crop failure.

By 2050, weather extremes and ecosystem destruction, and the ensuing societal collapse, will create as many as 1.2 billion climate refugees and risk the lives of even more. Food inflation that we’re seeing now is just the beginning of this dangerous trend. It is in our own self-interest and our moral obligation for Utah and the United States to end our dependency on greenhouse gas emitting dirty energy. Taking care of our local environment helps us take care of our shared world. 💚
...

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🤔 What does enacting the Endangered Species Act for the Wilson’s Phalarope mean for the Great Salt Lake? 

If we’re successful in achieving this status, an Endangered Species Act listing of the Wilson’s Phalarope would trigger a full range of protections that would likely include mandates around 💧water levels and ecosystem protections at the lake. The potential for federal involvement is a lever we hope will push our leaders to get serious about sending water to Great Salt Lake. 

💪 Help us make this launch as powerful as it can be so that we can address the great public health and ecological crises we face due to the drying Great Salt Lake. 

🎉 Join us on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT for the campaign launch and celebration. 

Speakers will include Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow) Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES and more. We’ll also have the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs showing our love for the lake.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.

🤔 What does enacting the Endangered Species Act for the Wilson’s Phalarope mean for the Great Salt Lake?

If we’re successful in achieving this status, an Endangered Species Act listing of the Wilson’s Phalarope would trigger a full range of protections that would likely include mandates around 💧water levels and ecosystem protections at the lake. The potential for federal involvement is a lever we hope will push our leaders to get serious about sending water to Great Salt Lake.

💪 Help us make this launch as powerful as it can be so that we can address the great public health and ecological crises we face due to the drying Great Salt Lake.

🎉 Join us on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT for the campaign launch and celebration.

Speakers will include Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow) Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES and more. We’ll also have the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs showing our love for the lake.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.
...

22 0
SAVE THE DATE to SAVE THE PHALAROPES! 🐦
March 28th (Thursday), 11am @ Utah State Capitol. 

Protecting wildlife is not our agenda, that is the worthy focus of many other groups. But in this case protecting this endangered bird that depends on the lake overlaps completely with protecting public health on the Wasatch Front.  If we allow the lake to continue to shrivel up we will have allowed a pollution nightmare (toxic dust storms) to unfold.  Wherever you have a pollution nightmare you find a public health nightmare if you look hard enough or wait long enough.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.

SAVE THE DATE to SAVE THE PHALAROPES! 🐦
March 28th (Thursday), 11am @ Utah State Capitol.

Protecting wildlife is not our agenda, that is the worthy focus of many other groups. But in this case protecting this endangered bird that depends on the lake overlaps completely with protecting public health on the Wasatch Front. If we allow the lake to continue to shrivel up we will have allowed a pollution nightmare (toxic dust storms) to unfold. Wherever you have a pollution nightmare you find a public health nightmare if you look hard enough or wait long enough.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.
...

31 0